1. Field of Invention
This invention disclosure relates to means for conveniently introducing a soap like liquid-agent into a pressurized water-line, and exhibiting the admixture prior to exiting a showerhead or washing-wand device; and more specifically, this disclosure relates to such types of apparatus employing either positive-pressure or negative-pressure for inducing such liquid-agent. Note also, that this new disclosure does not rely upon Applicant's earlier disclosures identified as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/233,932 (filed: 12 Sep. 2000) entitled: “Universal Faucet & Shower Economizing Suds-mixer” entailing positive-pressure JO injection of liquid-agent into an existing standard pressurized waterline to a bathroom or kitchen; —and nor does this disclosure rely upon subsequent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/912,560 (filed: 26 Jul. 2001) entitled: “Shower Apparatus”; neither disclosures having eluded to any manner of bubblizer-chamber as is to now be presented herein.
2. Background of Invention
Bathing facilities are commonly provided for body cleansing and refreshing at home, sporting-clubs, motels, and hotels for example, —and because it does not require an initial time consuming drawing of water as does a bathtub, a stall-shower or tub-shower is generally preferred particularly in public-facilities, because it is regarded as more hygienic and conserving of water and heating energy. Nevertheless, soaking in a bathtub is considered by many to be more therapeutically relaxing, wherein the bather can simply pour-in their personally enjoyed substances such as essential bath-oil, mineral-salt, fragrance, or other additive for cleansing, toning or nourishing to one's skin.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable if there could be provided a showering apparatus with associated convenient and reliable (ie: non-clogging) human-engineered functionality capable of facilitating in-waterline and optional in-hand dispensing of various types of bathing additive liquid-agents such as: —bathing gentle soap, hair-conditioner, shampoo, essential-oil, perfume, etc. Such an ideal showering apparatus would enable a user to select the time, and amount of introduction for any one selected substance; —yet critically, not contaminate a subsequently selected dispensing with residuals of a former selected dispensed additive. Moreover, it would be desirable if the resulting fluidic-circuit system and method of operation would be applicable not only to the bathroom, but with alternate use of detergent-soap, to the kitchen-sink water supply as well.
3. Relevant Prior-Art
For the purpose of this brevity in this disclosure, it will be appreciated that there have been numerous patents in which the fluidic system acts to introduce a liquid-agent into the water-stream after the water has left the pressurized waterline via the showerhead, thus such iterations are not being referenced owing their very different systemic characteristics. Thus owing the extensive background research discovery found relating to—‘disbursal of at least one liquid-agent within a pressurized waterline, the ensuing prior-art patent references are regarded as germane to this disclosure.
Chronologically for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,585 (filed: September 1971) contemplates a fluidic system for pressurized-injection of one or more liquid-agents into the pressurized showerhead waterline at the wall header-pipe gooseneck; however, a major defect of this configuration resides in its mixing of soap and shampoo into a common mixing-chamber, whereby either of the substances tends to become undesirably contaminated via the residual remnant of the prior substance presence within the mixing-chamber, uncesirably which would take awhile to become flushed clean by the ongoing flow of pressurized-water within the sealed mixing-chamber. The concept is nevertheless regarded as of advanced design relative to its contemporaries, and included the option of in-hand dispensing to increase its usefulness in FIG. 3.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,158 (filed: June 1979) is shown another showerhead gooseneck is header-pipe mounted liquid-agent dispensing apparatus, which is rather much less versatile than the preceeding patent specimen, and which relies upon siphon-action to draw a single liquid-agent from the reservoir upon user's operation of valve control-arm handle 84.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,173 (filed: April 1991) is shown another showerhead gooseneck header-pipe adapted dispensing apparatus for introduction of either soap or shampoo into the pressurized water-line; but the invention is seriously hampered by use of an awkwardly confusing ratcheted rotary-valve device (FIGS. 4 & 5) which sequences the mixing of water-pressure into admixture reservoir-chambers 13a or 13b; wherein the user is forced to remember which liquid-agent they last selected via pull of chain 28.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,789 (filed: August 1992) is shown another showerhead gooseneck header-pipe soap dispenser apparatus, wherein the soap-canister 70 is hung from the wall header-pipe, while a water-pressure conduit 58 is fed into the top of the soap-container, and owing a pressure-differential resulting from restrictor-port 48, a second conduit 60 sends the admixture 66 back into the lower-pressure portion of the header-pipe adapter-manifold 30. The user is provided rudimentary control-valve 82 by which to operate he fluidic system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,825 (filed: February 1992) is shown a popular shower-wall mounting unit which conveniently presents a variety of liquid-agents within a hinged housing-cover holding discrete detachable and refillable containers. Each of the containers is inserted down into a discrete receptacle employing a dedicated pushbutton which discharges a metered amount of liquid-agent into bather's hand via a downspout, before self-returning to outwardly aligned standby position. However, there is no anticipation nor adaptive to means capability enabling the positive-pressure fluidic dispensing pump feeds to be routed remotely as to provide additional convenience.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,645 (filed: May 1996) is shown a somewhat more relevant showerhead gooseneck header-pipe adapted apparatus for dispensing of two different liquid-agents such as soap and shampoo. However, the apparatus does not actually inject either of the liquid-agents so as to flow from the showerhead itself, but rather diverts the water-pressure into a pre-chamber (not identified by indicia numeral) which is immediately above a smaller adjoining chamber identified as water-basin 10, from whence the foaming overflow is mostly foamy-lather 27 which gravitates out upon user via foam-spout 11. Accordingly, when main rotary-valve 33 is rotated by user from the fluidic flow off-position of FIG. 2d to the on-position revealed in FIG. 2c, all water flows through the sprayhead alone; but when said rotary-valve 33 is rotated as revealed in FIGS. 2a/2b all pressurized-water is caused to be diverted to flow through a small spray-nozzle directing thus agitating water into the ambient-air exposed foam-generating chamber (supplied with liquid-agents via gravity-flow from either user selected reservoir-1 or reservoir-1a). Hence, when user desires to partake of the lather modality of operation, water-flow via the sprayhead is interupted; nor is there provision for a liquid-agent to be dispensed into user's hand.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,626 (filed: January 1998) is shown a hand-portable sprayer and soap-dispenser for connection to a pressurized water-line such as in a kitchen, for direct cleaning and rinsing of kitchen-utensils and associated sink environment; —all of which may be aided with the option of an attachable brush-ring scrubber accessory. However, while the arrangement of the thumb-actuated liquid-soap injection-pump 114 relative to the finger-operated water-control trigger 84, in association with the surrounding liquid-soap reservoir-chamber 168 (all indicated in FIG. 4) is technically well engineered, its configuration is less than practical from a functionality aspect of actual usage. For example, if one attempts to clean down inside a tall drinking-glass, it becomes readily apparent that one's own hand necessarily upon the operating controls becomes an impediment to efficient and effective access while endeavoring to clean residue from within the deeper recess of the vessel. Hence, while its inventors have placed strong emphases upon compact integration of components within the particular physical structure, closer study reveals the configuration to be substantially less than could be offered by way of an actual wand like embodiment having advantage of a deeper reach.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,1847 (filed: June 1999, and later very similar disclosure U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,758 filed—July 2002) is shown a shower or kitchen/laundry liquid-agent dispenser, relying in a first-embodiment upon the use of a siphon-venturi suction delivery system, and in a second-embodiment relying upon a notably weaker gravity-fed delivery system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,212 (filed: April 2003) is shown a “Device for Adding Soap to a Water-inlet”, comprising a liquid-soap injector-body 50 in fluid-communication with a manual pump-unit 14 capable of both drawing the liquid-soap from a reservoir 36, and at once sending a like dose of liquid-soap into the injector-body where through is flowing the main clear-water from the wall-header/gooseneck-pipe 5 and then outward via a conventional showerhead 6.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,028,922 (filed: January 2004) is shown a venturi-siphon suction fluidic circuit cooperating via conduit 22 with a user operated disposable container as exemplified in FIGS. 4 & 5, whereto its user is required to apply downward pressure upon the inverted bottom of container 40, thereby said to open a valve releasing the liquid-agent 42 into fluid communication with the showerhead via conduit 22. However a critical impediment to the described performance has been overlooked, whereby it should be understood that once an initial downward pressure is applied to the inverted container of FIG. 5, a disruptively untenable negative back-pressure condition is created progressively within container 40 as the liquid-agent 42 becomes evacuated therefrom. Because there is no neg.-pressure relief-port (would need to be a one-way check-valve provision, or just a vent-hole if relying only upon gravity feed) means provided for ambient-air to enter and occupy the space once occupied by displaced liquid-agent 42, the self-defeating negative back-pressure resulting within container 40 would soon act to oppose intended sending of liquid-agent 42 no matter how forcefully the user pressed down upon the container. Unfortunately, the inventor's contentions are rendered inherently defective by claiming an unworkable apparatus; although it seems unclear if the inventor was merely trying to employ gravity-flow from the container 40, or was the inventor attempting to induce pos.-pressure via the plunger-like action of container 40 (either way, a problematical cavitation effect appears to defeat its function).
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,201,331 (filed: December 2000) is shown a seemingly ordinary venturi-siphon suction device to draw liquid-agents such as soap or shampoo into the existing wall gooseneck header-pipe water-flow. As the notion of employing a line restrictor orifice 15 stepping out into an enlarged chamber portion 15 in conjunction with a lateral siphon-duct feed is not new, apparently the novelty of this particular siphon device resides in its specific one-piece configuration in combination with an integral showerhead socket-ball.
In pending US.Pat.#2007/0158470 (filed: November 2006) is shown an ‘Oxygenating Showerhead’ which longitudinal-axis includes a coaxial siphon-nozzle device and an anti-chamber surround thereto where is included a metering-valve for variable inleting ambient-air into the anti-chamber, whereby air is finally drawn into a forward mixing-chamber where the water and air together impact a fixed plate, thereby causing a splattering-action swirling the fluids concealed within the mixing-chamber, whereupon the said resultingly super-oxygenated water freely flows outwardly upon the bather via the numerous conventional showerhead outlet-holes.
In pending US.Pat.#2010/0051719 (filed: August 2008) is shown a “Showerhead Dispenser’ which water-inlet is secured to the outlet of a wall-goosneck pipe; and whereby water is sent into mixing-chamber within the showerhead; and, whereto a conduit also arranged in fluid-communication with the mixing-chamber. Accordingly, while main waterline clear-water is flowing into the mixing-chamber, the bather may depress a pump-lever forcing a liquid-agent such as a liquid-soap to become injected into the clear-water impacting a splatter-plate located within the fore-center of the showerhead, thereby causing bubbly-soap to exit the spraynead onto the bather. Generic variations include plural liquid-agent containers, in combination with concentric mixing-chambers within the showerhead.
Therefore, in consideration of the preceding patents review, it is concluded that no where in the prior-art does there exists a means by which the user can visually preview the process of introducing a liquid-agent into the water-stream within a chamber prior to exiting the showerhead. Hence, it has been determined that there is a viable need for an improved form of product to which these patents have been largely addressed. The instant inventor hereof believes their newly improved shower and kitchen fluidic-circuit apparatus referred to as the SudsMix™, currently being developed for production under auspices of—‘Rivera Fluidics Mfg./Mkt.Co.’, exhibits certain novel advantages as shall be revealed in the subsequent portion of this instant disclosure.